Michael McGrath: Ireland has moral and legal duty to help Ukrainians

Finance Minister Michael McGrath said: "It is when you meet people directly affected by this complete devastation that it brings the reality of it home to you, underlines the fact that whatever about legally, morally we don’t have a choice. We have to look after these people.” Photo: Damien Storan.

Ireland has an ongoing moral, as well as a legal duty, to help Ukrainian refugees, the Finance Minister said.

Michael McGrath also insisted that the €2bn set aside this year to fund the State's response to the Ukraine crisis does not impact on its ability to deliver for its own citizens. “We are in a position to be able to afford it. It is not competing with other areas of expenditure,” Mr McGrath said.